1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to game calls and more particularly to single reed calls for imitating the gobble of a male turkey.
2. Background Art
Game calls are devices that are used to imitate or mimic the sound of a wild animal such as a game bird. Game calls are typically used by hunters to draw game animals closer to the hunter's location and within range of a firearm.
Turkey hunting is a popular type of hunting that focuses on harvesting male wild turkeys. An important aspect of turkey hunting is the thrill and excitement associated with observing or hearing a male wild turkey gobble. Male wild turkeys make a gobble sound to attract female turkeys or to assert dominance over other male turkeys, especially during spring mating season which generally coincides with turkey hunting season in most jurisdictions. The male turkey gobble sound is very distinct from any other wild game sound. For example, the gobble sound of a male wild turkey is not similar to any sound made by a duck or a goose. Additionally, the gobble sound made by male turkeys is much different than any sound made by a female turkey, or hen. Hens typically create sounds known as yelps, clucks and purrs. These are repetitive single-note sounds, while in contrast the gobble is a complex and violent sound. The gobble sound can be used by a male wild turkey either to attract a hen for mating or to warn other male turkeys in the area to leave.
When two mature male wild turkeys are in the same vicinity, it is possible that each male turkey will hear the other making the gobble sound. This type of vocal challenge among male turkeys is known to cause aggressive behavior and can result in physical confrontations. In many instances, especially during mating season, a male turkey that hears a gobble call of another male turkey will become excited and seek out the other male turkey to initiate a confrontation. Thus, it is advantageous for hunters to be able to accurately imitate the gobble sound of a male turkey to attract male turkeys to the hunter's location.
Generally, one way a turkey hunter may draw a wild male turkey close is by imitating the sounds other turkeys make. This is traditionally done using a game call. Several types of turkey game calls exist. Mouth calls typically include a plastic frame having a flexible diaphragm positioned on the frame. A hunter or caller can place the mouth call in his or her mouth and then blow air across the diaphragm to imitate the sound of a turkey. However, conventional mouth calls are often limited to reproducing the sounds made by female turkeys and do not produce a gobble sound. Some diaphragm-type mouth calls may be used to produce a gobble sound, but are difficult to use by most users for such purposes.
Other types of turkey calls are also known in the art. Box calls typically use a wooden box frame having a sliding cover that scrapes the upper edges of the box walls. As the cover is slid over the walls, a sound is created. However, conventional box calls make the sound of a hen, but are generally not operable to make a gobble sound. Slate calls are another type of turkey call that generally include a stick, or hammer, that can be manually rubbed against a slate or glass disk. Slate calls, however, are also only operable to produce hen sounds and cannot be used to reproduce the distinctive gobble sound.
Others have attempted to satisfy the need for a turkey game call that can reproduce the sound of a male turkey gobble. Some conventional game calls for imitating a male turkey gobble sound include shaker calls having a tube with a moveable piston positioned in the tube and an opening on one end. When a user shakes the tube, the member can reciprocate back and forth and air can be ejected from the tube to create a sound. In various configurations, the structures of shaker calls can be configured so that the emitted sound simulates a gobble. However, the range of such shaker gobble calls is very limited because the air pressure and velocity generated by shaking the tube is insufficient to create a loud sound that carries a great distance through dense woods. In many hunting situations, male turkeys may be located several thousand yards away, so it is critical that a gobble call be able to create a gobble sound that is capable of carrying a significant distance through wooded terrain. Conventional duck and goose calls that utilize a tube, or barrel, through which a user blows air, are capable of generating loud sounds that can travel long distances. However, such conventional duck and goose calls are not operable to produce the unique gobble sound.
Another problem associated with conventional game calls is alignment of the reed with the tone board and wedge. Precise positioning between the reed, wedge and tone board must be achieved to provide a desired sound. Such precise positioning may require manual assembly of game calls, which is inefficient. Even when manual assembly is performed, it is still possible for the call elements to become misaligned prior to or during shipment or use. For example, when a properly tuned call is dropped or impacted against a surface, the reed may become misaligned relative to the wedge and tone board, resulting in an undesirable sound. Others have attempted to solve this problem by providing guides on the wedge or tone board for the reed. However, such guides allow slippage following impact and generally do not locate the reed at a specific desired position when the call is assembled.
What is needed then is a male turkey gobble call that allows a user to blow air through a tube, like in a conventional duck or goose call, but that also reproduces a male turkey gobble sound. Also needed are improvements in devices and methods of manufacturing game calls to allow repeatable positioning of the reed relative to the wedge and tone board and to prevent inadvertent misalignment of the reed.